Washing up

After washing up, Toru Kujyo sat down at the dining table. Hinata had already served him a bowl of rice.

"Toru, go wash up. I've got breakfast ready." Hinata handed him his chopsticks, then picked up another lunch box herself. She had prepared it for Toru Kujyo, with a richer, more balanced selection of dishes.

After breakfast, Hinata carefully straightened Toru Kujyo's collar and said softly, "Toru, I'll wait for you at the academy." Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but her eyes were full of anticipation.

The Ninja Academy's graduation assessment took place over two days. Today, the first day, consisted of a written exam and a basic ninjutsu assessment.

"All right." Toru Kujyo smiled in reply and watched Hinata jog away.

He was in no hurry and ambled out the door. Sunlight spilled over Konoha's bustling streets. Toru Kujyo seemed to be strolling casually, but the extraordinary perception granted by his [sage eye] allowed him to take in everything within an eighty-kilometer radius. The rustling of grass in the wind, the chirping of insects and birds, even the sweat shed by ninja on distant training grounds and the flow of their chakra-all of it was perfectly clear.

He and Hinata walked one behind the other on their way to school. Although there was some distance between them, their striking looks still drew plenty of glances from passersby. Six years had passed, and Toru Kujyo had grown into a handsome boy. Thanks to his frequent, sometimes deliberate and sometimes casual efforts to keep her well fed, Hinata had received plenty of nutrition. Combined with her persistent exercise, she had reached a height of 155 centimeters and developed a figure far more mature than those of girls her age. Yet she seemed not to have fully realized the change herself and still habitually hunched her shoulders a little.

"Hey, Toru, Hinata! Going to school together again?" a cheerful girl's voice called from beside them.

They turned to see Minako, a girl with a high ponytail and a bright smile, waving at them. She was an outgoing classmate of theirs.

Minako caught up in a few quick steps and squeezed between them. With one arm around Hinata's shoulders, she gave Toru Kujyo a teasing look. "Honestly, you two are inseparable. You've been like this since the first day of school, and now we're about to graduate and nothing's changed. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were brother and sister!"

Hinata's cheeks instantly turned red, and she protested quietly, "Minako, d-don't say things like that..."

Toru Kujyo merely smiled, neither agreeing nor denying it.

On the day of the graduation exam, the Ninja Academy was much quieter than usual, with only sixth-year students on campus. At the school gates, many parents from civilian families waited anxiously, their faces full of worry and hope. Most of the children from ninja clans, on the other hand, looked relaxed and confident that they would pass.

As they made their way to the classroom, every classmate they met greeted Toru Kujyo and Hinata warmly.

"Morning, Toru, Hinata!"

"Our first- and second-ranked stars came together again today?"

"Haha, it'd be stranger if you two weren't glued to each other!"

Good-natured teasing came from every direction. Hinata's cheeks remained an adorable shade of pink, and her head dipped lower and lower.

Toru Kujyo was used to it. In truth, much of that was thanks to Hinata. As the young lady of the Hyuga Main Family, she consistently ranked among the top three students, and her taijutsu was renowned for its chakra-point strikes. She commanded considerable respect among the girls. With his "official childhood friend" around, Toru Kujyo wasn't surrounded by chattering girls wherever he went, the way Sasuke Uchiha was. Without even trying, Hinata spared him a great deal of unnecessary trouble and unwanted romantic attention.

Even Sasuke had complained about it in private, saying Toru Kujyo had gotten ridiculously lucky.

When they entered the classroom, most of their classmates looked nervous to varying degrees. Naruto Uzumaki was sprawled over his desk with his palms pressed together, muttering prayers to who knew which god. Toru Kujyo, the class's top student, and Hinata, who ranked second, looked perfectly at ease. Their composure stood out against the tense atmosphere around them, drawing plenty of envious and jealous looks.

Iruka-sensei hadn't arrived yet. Toru Kujyo sat in his usual seat, with Hinata beside him.

Suddenly, Toru Kujyo's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. A strange stirring once again rose from deep within his eyes, clearer than it had been yesterday. It carried an indescribable heat and yearning, as though something was about to awaken within his eye sockets.

Hmm? There it is again... He closed his eyes and focused on the sensation.

The stirring was like a newly formed fetus, pulsing gently through the chakra pathways around his eyes. Each pulse seemed to draw some special energy from his vast reserves of chakra, particularly the power associated with his two red talents, [Sage eye] and [prince of the Byakugan].

Could it be... today? Something clicked in Toru Kujyo's mind, and a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes. He could sense that this evolutionary power was being stirred by the special "milestone" of the graduation assessment.

He glanced at Hinata beside him, who was speaking quietly with Kiba Inuzuka. She wore a relaxed smile, completely unaware of anything unusual about him.

Even more astonishing than Itachi awakening his Mangekyō at eleven? A confident smile curved Toru Kujyo's lips. Then let's see just how far these eyes of mine can go!

He knew very well that his [kekkei genkai · Byakugan] had long since ceased to be an ordinary Byakugan after merging with Hinata's [prince of the Byakugan] talent and absorbing the vast quantity of Yin Release chakra that should have been used to awaken the Sharingan. These golden Byakugan held potential far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

The "sage eye" gave him the aptitude to learn and see through every ninjutsu, while the "prince of the Byakugan" pushed the Byakugan's own potential to its limits. And with the catalytic effect of "six paths aptitude" added to that...

The stirring made the chakra within him grow slightly restless, but he quickly calmed it.

Just then, Iruka entered the classroom carrying a stack of exam papers, his expression stern. "Quiet, everyone! The graduation assessment begins now!"

The class bell rang, and Umino Iruka collected the exam papers before standing at the front of the classroom with a serious expression.

"Everyone, the written exam is over. Next is the practical assessment-the Clone Technique!" Iruka's voice echoed through the classroom. "Please proceed to the examination room next door in order and prepare for your assessment."

The classroom immediately filled with the scraping of chairs as the students stood up. Toru Kujyo felt the stirring in his eyes grow stronger and stronger, until he could barely suppress it. He took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm.

"First, Hinata Hyuga!" a chunin examiner at the door called loudly.

Hinata stood and nervously clenched her fists. Toru Kujyo said softly, "Go on. With your abilities, you'll be fine."

Hinata nodded, gave him a reassured smile, then turned and headed into the examination room.

A few minutes later, Hinata emerged from the examination room with a smile, a Konoha forehead protector already secured on her forehead. From a distance, she flashed Toru Kujyo a victory sign, her eyes brimming with joy.

"Sasuke Uchiha!"

Sasuke walked toward the examination room with an impassive expression and passed just as smoothly a few minutes later.

"Kiba Inuzuka!"

"Shino Aburame!"

"Choji Akimichi!"